An aircraft crash training exercise was held at the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance range here Feb. 19. The simulated crash site was scattered throughout a two mile radius. “The idea was to test the base’s capabilities to respond to an aircraft crash incident with a mass-casualty piece involved,” said Master Sgt. Mark Molineaux, 355th…

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) — As I was reviewing some enlisted performance reports and decorations today, I started contemplating a huge event in my life that occurred almost 20 years ago. In April of 1995, I asked my then girlfriend Tiffani, a fellow Airman at the time, to be my wife, for better…

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. — New Airmen go through a whirlwind of activities during the transformation of civilian to active duty Airman, which can be a confusing process. Lucky for new Airmen, there’s the First Term Airmen Center to catch them when they land at their first duty station. FTAC is a five-day program…

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) — Following a full day of work developing Air Force models, Maj. Ian Holt, the Headquarters Air Force Space Command vault concepts lead, mounts his Felt bicycle and starts pedaling on a three-hour training ride. It’s all part of the regimen prescribed by his coach leading up to the…

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — They are breathtaking, flawless and can cause the viewer to have goosebumps. They look easy, but, according to those who perform them, flyovers take training, skill and precise decisions to execute. The most recent flown in the area was the Super Bowl flyover, where the Thunderbirds, officially known as…

WASHINGTON (AFPS) — In light of recent discussions concerning the new Distinguished Warfare Medal and its order of precedence relative to other military decorations, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a review of the award, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said here today. Little said Hagel directed Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the…

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has directed two separate reviews to ensure that the U.S. military justice system is appropriately protecting victims of sexual assault as well as dispensing justice to the accused, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said here today. The orders are an outgrowth of a case against Air Force Lt. Col….

The challenges faced by Airmen are many. Beyond the immediate physical threats generated by deployments, our Airmen must deal with the mental and social effects of being in a high-intensity, stressful and dangerous environment, sometimes for months at a time. These same deployments often force spouses to become “single parents,” due to the myriad of…

WASHINGTON (AFNS) — “It’s never too early to start saving for retirement no matter how young you are,” said a top Pentagon official, reminding those in uniform of how important it is to act now to ensure long-term financial readiness. The message from Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon’s office of Family Policy/Children and Youth,…

A local Airman doesn’t attend college, but rather spends his time earning college credit through the College Level Examination Program, or CLEP, as well as the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support program. Airman 1st Class Connor Proctor, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron A-10 avionics technician, spends most of his off-duty time studying for CLEPs and…

Whether servicemembers are here at Davis-Monthan, on exercise or deployed, they can expect to find the same or very similar prices at Army & Air Force Exchange Service facilities worldwide. The practice is known as pricing parity and the prices for products available around the world are established centrally. “While price differentiations can occur with…

Staff Sgt. Mathew Stewart, 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment craftsman, has a unique family history with the Air Force. Every member in his immediate family has been an enlisted Airman in our great Air Force. What makes his family history even more interesting is the fact that every one of them has served…

Staff Sgt. Erich B. Smith 162nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs There may have been no stream of paparazzi lining a red carpet at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort and Spa, but the Arizona Air National Guard’s own stars showed up in their service and mess dress uniforms at the 2013 Outstanding Airman of…

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — Retired Marine Corps KC-130R aircraft will live to fly another day as part of a foreign military sales case between the U.S. Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. Six KC-130R excess aircraft are on a journey to restoration and active-duty status with the Japanese Maritime…

Diners using their MILITARY STAR® Card at Davis-Monthan Exchange restaurants on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) will find a pot of savings as 20 percent will be taken off their bill. “The Irish won’t be the only lucky ones this St. Patrick’s Day,” said the Davis-Monthan Exchange General Manager Cathy J.Ely. “Anyone using a MILITARY…

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